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Thursday, August 20, 2015

I'm linking up with the INFAMOUS Mrs. King (aka the Bulletin Board Lady!) to show you what's on my wall! I've been working super hard this week to make sure everyone else in my school is hooked up with all their technology, but I finally found some time for myself yesterday and today!

I'm SUPER excited about some of the improvements I've made to my room this year!

If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk you can dance!

Here's the start to my bulletin board! I love the silhouettes! My husband says I should add some glitter! Can't wait for the kids to see it!

My percussion wall is getting better and better every year! I made labels to print on Avery Labels (available in my TPT store!) so students can locate and return the instruments a little easier.

I've had my drums on the percussion wall for a few years now, but I finally decided to get a class set of drums so I expanded the wall to behind the piano too. AND! Since I have the best principal ever!!! She let me paint circles around the drums so the students know where to put them back!! YES!

Oh! And my boomwhackers have been on the wall for the past few years, but again, students sometimes have a problem putting them away, especially when a lot of boomwhackers are being used. Spatially, students sometimes have a hard time judging where the colors should go and for the kiddos that need everything to be put away perfectly, it was a big distraction.

So! Drum roll, please!

Ta da! I colored the velcro to match the boomwhackers!! It was super easy-I just used Crayola markers! It'll be so much better for students now! LOVE IT!

I'm very proud of the fact that I have doubled my xylophone inventory throughout last year! My principal's husband built me the bass xylophone cart (after my husband and I failed miserably) and the labels are a freebie from Jena Hudson at Sew Much Music (get them here!) I put one label on the instrument, and one label on the shelf, so students put them back where they got them!

Did you notice my SitSpots? Best purchase I ever made (non musical)! I use them as line up dots, time out dots, wait for me dots, tallest to shortest dots, and so much more! Plus, kiddos are FAR away from anything they can get their hands on that I don't want them touching while they're in line!

One more picture of the front of my room. Not much new there. I love my smart board and just added an iPad holder that I'll use as a document camera.

(Notice I didn't show you a picture of my desk... I'm not QUITE ready for school in two weeks!)

Monday, August 17, 2015

Yay! I've linked up with Mrs. Miracle and Music A La Abbott's Linky Party: Super Sale Instant Replay! I was the forgetful buyer last time who forgot to use the promo code and missed out on an additional 8%! Teachers Pay Teachers is throwing a last minute sale for those like me who forgot something! DON'T FORGET THE PROMO CODE, ALISON! The new promo code is MORE15!

Something I forgot to buy last time, was this collection of slides for Peas Porridge Hot by Tuneful Teacher. I've been learning a lot of ways to explore this song in my Orff training over the summer so I'm excited to grab these slides to help students explore quarter rest!

Since the last sale, I've been working a lot in my room at school organizing and rearranging. I made myself labels to print out for each of my percussion instrument baskets, then I made labels for my orff instruments too! They are so easy to print and so far they've been sticking pretty well!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

When I started in my classroom 5 years ago, I had very few "quality" percussion instruments. I did, however, have a fairly large Music Fund that hadn't been touched in a few years! With time, I've bought more and more instruments for classroom use with the hopes of eventually getting class sets of the basics (tambourines, triangles, hand drums, etc.)

But with all my new toys, it's getting difficult to remember where I put things! So I made myself great labels that I can print out on Avery Labels! I made a set of small ones and a set of large ones. Here's a link to where you can buy the Avery Labels to match! Small 14 per sheet or Large 8 per sheet

I can't believe it's back to school already! I just finished my Orff Level 2 certification and I'm super excited to head back and use all the new tools in my toolbox, but I also love summer just as much as the next teacher!

I'm linking up with a bunch of music teachers (hosted by Mrs. Miracle and Music A La Abbott) in their Back to School Teachers Pay Teachers Sale Wish and Dish! So here's one of my products, one music product I'm exited to buy, and one non-music item!

Like I said, I just finished my Orff Level 2 certification and was super inspired by my amazing teacher, Cyndee Giebler. She taught us about Discrete Combinatorial System Improvisation. Sounds complicated, right!? Nope! Similar to a menu style activity, students choose one from column A, one from column B, and play column C! Students pick which notes they want (from a teacher given pitch set), which rhythm they want (from a teacher given rhythm set) and then play within the constructs given! As someone who is not very comfortable improvising, I was totally comfortable doing this! I picked what I wanted, then played confidently. (I know, it's a little more "composition" than it is "improvisation" but students are making decisions quickly rather than writing melodies). I was so inspired by this activity that I went home and jumped on the computer! Here is a file that includes a Discrete Combinatorial System for Do, Re, Sol, and La modes in C, G, and F pentatonic, in both duple and triple meters. Simply decide what mode/key/meter you'll be working on and let the kids explore! Super easy!

Cherie Herring is my idol (I think I've said this before!) and I love everything she makes! She is a SMART certified teacher and really uses her technology to engage students! I use many of her activities as sub plans where students are musically engaged and thinking, but subs just have to know how to use the smartboard. Can't wait to try this new one!

In addition to general music and band, I also teach 6th grade math at my school. I LOVE interactive notebooks and purchased a huge set of them last year for the year. This year, I am super excited for project based learning activities from 21st Century Math Projects. I have a small class of less than 5 students so we have plenty of time to learn the material; now we can really USE the material in our projects! Can't wait!!

I love this!! Yoga aside, breathing and stretching is so great for the body and for learning focus! I'm not allowed to use the word YOGA in my school, but even if I have to wait until I have my own kids, I am buying this! It is a story that includes poses for children, coloring pictures, posters, flashcards! I REALLY hope I can adapt it to use at school!

So that's some of the things in my wish list! But you know what??? Even though everything is on sale, I'm still not going to pay full price! TPT offers credits towards purchases IF you leave feedback on paid purchases! So I'll be heading back into My Purchases to make sure I've left all my feedback (valuable feedback!) before I buy more!